This sheet is about exposure to mold in pregnancy and while breastfeeding. This information should not take the place of medical care and advice from your healthcare providers. What is mold? Molds are fungi that are able to live almost anywhere, indoors and outdoors. They grow best in warm, damp, and humid places, including water damaged areas. Molds can be different colors and can have a musty, earthy smell. They spread by releasing spores that can pass through the air and be carried on …
The Baby Blog: Household
Cigarette Smoke
This sheet talks about exposure to cigarette smoke in pregnancy and while breastfeeding. This information should not take the place of medical care and advice from your healthcare provider. What is in cigarette smoke? Cigarette smoke is made of gases and very tiny particles that are released when cigarettes are burned. It has over 4,000 compounds including nicotine, tar, arsenic, lead, and carbon monoxide. When you breathe the cigarette smoke into your lungs, the gases and particles get …
Screening Your Sunscreen During Pregnancy
As the famous song croons, “Summertime and the living is easy…." Summer is finally here! COVID-19 has interfered with outdoor gatherings, but people are starting to venture out…with good social distancing, of course! Outdoor activities mean more sun exposure, and healthcare providers recommend protecting your skin from the sun. These recommendations stem from concerns that the sun’s UV (ultraviolet) rays can damage the skin and increase the risk for skin cancer and early aging. Studies show that …
Carbon Monoxide
This sheet talks about exposure to carbon monoxide in pregnancy and while breastfeeding. This information should not take the place of medical care and advice from your health care provider. What is carbon monoxide? Carbon monoxide is a gas. It has no color, smell, or taste. Small amounts of carbon monoxide are normally found in our bodies and in the air we breathe. Large amounts of carbon monoxide gas can be released from poorly working heaters, furnaces, grills, kerosene stoves, or other …
Lead
This sheet talks about whether exposure to lead during pregnancy and while breastfeeding may. This information should not take the place of medical care and advice from your healthcare provider. What is lead and where is it found? Lead is a heavy metal. It can be found in many places, such as: soil, water, cosmetics, children’s & costume jewelry, old paint, plumbing, batteries, bullets, solders, and gasoline. Lead can leach out of pipes into drinking water. Living near metal smelters or …
